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The objective moderator of the VP debate

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In THE BREAKTHROUGH, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama’s stunning presidential campaign and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power.

Amazon.com: The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama: Gwen Ifill: Books

YouTube - The Breakthrough by Gwen Ifill

The book is scheduled for release Jan. 20 ;the day that the new President assumes office. What a boost in sales it would be if Obama was that new President!!

Greta Van Susteren claims that the McCain campaign was not told about the book before they agreed to Ifill being the debate monitor.
oh - oh !! « GretaWire

Now just imagine the reaction if Paul Alexander was selected to moderate the debate ! Man of the People: The Life of John McCain : Paul Alexander : ISBN 9780471475453 - Buy.com

Hello tom:

Well then, you've got a perfect scape goat to blame when Governor Palin blows it. That's kind of what you righty's do, isn't it? Blame the media?

excon

So how did McCain's campaign people let this happen? Don't they vet anyone?

"A conflict of interest is a situation in which someone in a position of trust, such as a lawyer, insurance adjuster, a politician, executive or director of a corporation or a medical research scientist or physician, has competing professional or personal interests. Such competing interests can make it difficult to fulfill his or her duties impartially."
Conflict of interest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You don't see the conflict of interests here ? Why doesn't Ifill have the integrity to excuse herself ?

I think Palin should congratulate Ifill on the book in her opening statement .

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So how did McCain's campaign people let this happen? Don't they vet anyone?

A legitimate critique .However ;the point is that it was Ifill's responsibility if she has a modicum of integrity to excuse herself.

I don't think she would be in a "position of trust". Plus she is probably not the originator of all the questions, she's simply the moderator. Do we know where the questions come from? Does she run the whole show with full editorial control?

I firmly believe that it's up to the participants to vet the moderator. Much the same that lawyers vet possible jurors for conflict of interest.

Hello again, tom:

There's no debate regarding Ifills allegiance. The only debate is how McCain missed it. It appears to be just another misstep among many missteps.

I didn't know about her book... But, I DO see her on the talk show circuit plenty of times whooping it up for Obama. Her views ARE well known, so I don't see the publication of her book as an event that changes anything.

I also don't know how she was picked, but if there was an objection about her, it should have been lodged LONG ago. Soooo, I think this "new" information about Ifill is being spread to blunt her handlers anticipation that Sarah will blow it tomorrow night.

She's in over her head. She shouda blinked.

excon

Moderator :the nonpartisan presiding officer of a town meeting
Where is the integrity ? Even CBS lets it's audience know in their reports when there COULD be a conflict of interest .

Actually, to maintain integrity in the process ,vetting should've been the responsibility of the Debate Commission as well as the 2 campaigns Commission on Presidential Debates

Clearly McCain's camp dropped the ball on this but that does not excuse the rest ;especially Ifill.

It's going to be very interesting. The 'pitbull' will bare her teeth and attack Biden I'm sure. She'll probably hit it out of the park!

Yeah there should be no question that Ifill is in the tank . During the Republican National Convention, the PBS ombudsman fielded numerous complaints about Ifill’s coverage of Palin’s speech.

The question I have,and am still reseaching at this point is : when did the public disclosure of the book happen ? If it was not revealed until after the announcement of the moderators then the McCain camp cannot be accused of dropping the ball... but Ifill can truthfully be charged with a deception.

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Originally Posted by tomder55

The question I have,and am still reseaching at this point is : when did the public disclosure of the book happen ? If it was not revealed until after the announcement of the moderators then the McCain camp cannot be accused of dropping the ball ...but Ifill can truthfully be charged with a deception.

Her YouTube video was added September 17th. Today is October 1st. They could have made a statement before today. Why does the McCain camp know less than you? :confused:

Hello again, tom:

Upon refection, this appears more devious than at first glance. Instead of blaming Ifill for Palins BAD performance, I think they're going to refuse to let her debate at all, and use the book as their excuse. Call me cynical...

I wonder if they're paving the way by sending out emails. Did you get one?

This isn't really a put down of Palin, by the way. As a mayor and a governor, you're right - she DOES have to make executive decisions. These decisions, however, don't have anything to do with Americas foreign policy.

As a governor, I wouldn't expect her to know about that stuff. As a VP candidate, I do. You're pretty well versed on foreign policy. Do you think you could have become that way over the course of three weeks? I don't.

excon

Your assumption of a bad performance is premature. Unless the format is changed there is plenty of time allowed for a free and open exchange between the candidates.

The inexperienced candidate against the experienced one who has a history of getting foreign policy wrong. If I were Palin I'd like my odds on an even playing field .

NK further searches have revealed that the information about the books release was available to McCain in August. So either he dropped the ball or does not consider the facts sufficiently important.

Ex
I got no emails on this . Ifound out during my daily stroll throughout the blogsphere. I think Michelle Malkin revealed the information first . To date I have seen no reaction from the McCain campaign.

To clear part of this up now, it seems the CPD selects the moderators and they were announced on August 5th. When in August was Ifill's book announced? Seems to me the commission dropped the ball regardless.

Good job Steve . The earliest date I can find where this was public knowledge is in this Howard Kurtz article on Sept. 4
In a Historic Year, Ifill Has One Thing to Do: Her Job - washingtonpost.com

And you have to look hard for it.

Must be part of that vast leftist conspiracy. Good job guys. The McCain camp missed the boat on this one. Perhaps they should suspend their campaign.

I just wonder if her book about black political acheivers includes Michael Steele Ken Blackwell JC Watts Colin Powell Condeleeza Rice Edward Brooke Janice Rodgers Brown Clarence Thomas Eldridge Cleaver Larry Elder Roy Innis Alan Keyes Rod Paige William T. Vernon or Walter E. Williams??

Ask her! Or better yet, you write that book!

Tom the format has been changed to suit Palin hardly NO time for exchanges between her and Biden. So basically we are just going to hear stump speeches.

VP Debate Made Easier for Palin - Political Machine

I guess when you let the pitbull off her leash she stands there with her tail between her legs.

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Originally Posted by tomder55

I just wonder if her book about black political acheivers includes Michael Steele Ken Blackwell JC Watts Colin Powell Condeleeza Rice Edward Brooke Janice Rodgers Brown Clarence Thomas Eldridge Cleaver Larry Elder Roy Innis Alan Keyes Rod Paige William T. Vernon or Walter E. Williams??

Hey some of them are in there.

Here's the description, straight from Amazon:

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"Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960s. She offers incisive, detailed profiles of such prominent leaders as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and U.S. Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama, and also covers up-and-coming figures from across the nation. Drawing on interviews with power brokers like Senator Obama, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and many others, as well as her own razor-sharp observations and analysis of such issues as generational conflict and the "black enough" conundrum, Ifill shows why this is a pivotal moment in American history."

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Hey some of them are in there.

Here's the description, straight from Amazon:

One is "some of them?" Other than Powell, every name you listed is a prominent Democrat.

Hey guys, I watched that pres debate and I heard Obama say he would invade Pakistan if necessary. McCain rebuffed him by saying that you don't publicly say something like that about an ally.

And you keep bashing Palin for being naïve about foreign policy. She is only the vp candidate, Obama is in the first slot.

Get real!!

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Originally Posted by Galveston1

Hey guys, I watched that pres debate and I heard Obama say he would invade Pakistan if necessary. McCain rebuffed him by saying that you don't publicly say something like that about an ally.

And you keep bashing Palin for being naive about foreign policy. She is only the vp candidate, Obama is in the first slot.

Get real!!!

You're about to get reamed for that... but I won't do it. :)

Let's talk about Biden's foreign policy expertise, this is the guy that said after 9/11 "Seems to me this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran."

I will be kind. Biden has been in the Senate since the 1970s and for the most part has been wrong on every major foreign policy position during that time. He even voted against Operation Desert Storm.He was wrong on Reagan's cold war intiatives . Even liberals have to admit that he was gungo-ho on the current Iraq war until things started getting tough. Then he came up with the most convoluted solution for the war that anyone in either party proposed.

It's a conflict of interest and if she has any integrity she will bail out (that's a popular term nowadays).
Consider how her book sales will go after the election if Obama wins vs McCain wins. It's a no-brainer. Get another moderator! The debate will have no value whatsoever with her in the mix. And it doesn't necessarily mean she will favor the Obama side, she may overcompensate by being slanted against Biden, to try and avoid the appearance of bias. There's an old saying--If it looks right it might be wrong but if it looks wrong it's got to be wrong.

The format has changed slightly: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/us.../21debate.html

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At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between the Republican nominee for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin, and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said. There will also be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the running mates.

McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive.

:rolleyes:

Hello Need:

Do we need a leader who ISN'T a world class debater?? I don't think so. Then we'll be at a "disadvantage and on the defensive" to the REST OF THE WORLD!!

But hey, she's a hockey mom.

excon

Palin did fine in the Alaska debates I saw. In my view the format change is a wash because I'm sure the Obama campaign is equally pleased Biden will have to answer questions in a structured format.

I know I'm not in that exalted, high altitude circle of really informed political observers that some of you are, but will someone PLEASE tell me how and where Obama got HIS vast experience in foreign policy?? Some of you seem to be more worried about Palin's lack of foreign policy experience than you are Obama's. Doesn't make sense to me.

That same "Gwen Iffil" has been moderator before. She was Black before and she's still Black now folks. She's not some Johnny come lately and she's been known to be toughest on Democrats having questioned Bill Clinton till nausea back in the day. The McCain camp needs to get over this scapegoat mentality. Sarah Palin answers for herself and Joe Biden will answer for himself. Mostly the Pubs need to stop nominating control freak "maverick" wannabe president types to avoid such campaign embarrassing goofiness. BTW that book is not solely about Barack Obama, that's another misconception and fallacy. It mentions several current leaders of African American heritage including Barack Obama.

She was fair and impartial in the format. Not sure if the public disclosure had any role in that.

She was very fair and impartial. Gwen Iffil always had integrity. :)

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Originally Posted by BABRAM

She was very fair and impartial. Gwen Iffil always had integrity. :)

She did fine, but if she had such integrity she would have disclosed her upcoming book to the commission. I don't care what anyone says, that was a conflict of interest.

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The host of PBS' "Washington Week" and senior correspondent on "The NewsHour" said she did not tell the Commission on Presidential Debates about the book. The commission had no immediate comment when contacted by The Associated Press. A spokeswoman for John McCain's campaign did not immediately return phone and e-mail messages.

Palin also did a fine job and Biden did no harm, he managed to take both sides of several issues. "Hard coal miner" Joe can't decide whether he's for or against clean coal. Helicopter Joe mocked McCain for thinking Shias and Sunnis could ever get along while bragging on his work on Bosnia between factions that have been fighting a "thousand years." And he changed the rhetoric on our military being stretched so thin we can't do anything else by saying we had the capability to do something in the Sudan. He almost had a Hillary moment and shed a few tears there at the end for icing on the cake. Meanwhile, Palin not only held her own she surprised a lot of people last night and clearly rankled "stand up for Chuck" Joe a few times.

The difference I saw was that Biden wanted to talk endlessly about legislative votes cast while Palin steered the conversation to accomplishments of her time as an executive. Curiously Biden's m.o. became a one man debate between his and McCain's voting record. Obama's legislative record is thin so he rarely tapped into Obama's record.

I'd tend to agree with Galviston's point. What foreign policy experience does Obama really have?? That should send a strong message to Americans. And, yes we all know that we are in a mess right now & it needs to change, but I'd feel a lot safer knowing there's someone in charge that has had the experience in foreign policy that Mcain has had over a new Senator any day of the week. In my opinion Obama is just a smooth operator, & we don't need that. If I want to watch a smooth operator, I'll go to the local bar & watch morons try & pick up women.

I thought Palin held her own. I don't think she did exeptionially well, but anyone 5 weeks into a VP slot from a Govorners position... Who would?
Biden is a great speaker though, he won the debate in my opinion, but only on his ability to point out certain facts? Not sure about those facts...

I think she did a very good job.
My question is this:
What happened to Bidens other wig?
Was it at the vet for shots and a bath?

Forget his wig where did he get those teeth from!! They are Perfect!!

As for the debate they both did what they needed to do. Biden didn't come off as a condescending pr*ck and Palin didn't sound like she was out of her league. They both side stepped a few questions.

The only thing I noticed was Biden seemed more comfortable up there. Palin seemed a little nervous not much but a little. Some answers she gave she had a little tremble in her voice but she did fine.

Can someone tell me exactly when the US and France kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon ?

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When we kicked -- along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, I said and Barack said, "Move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don't know -- if you don't, Hezbollah will control it."

Now what's happened? Hezbollah is a legitimate part of the government in the country immediately to the north of Israel.

You know, after all of the attacks on Palin the past few weeks it's been eerily quiet here since the debate. Did she leave some of her critics a little "speechless?" :)

Did any of you catch Biden's answer on what promise they would have to cut back on because of the bailout? The only promise they might have to scale back on is their plan to "double foreign assistance." The only other thing they're going to cut back on are Bush and McCain tax breaks.

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We also are going to make sure that we do not go forward with the tax cut proposals of the administration -- of John McCain, the existing one for people making over $250,000, which is $130 billion this year alone.

We're not going to support the $300 billion tax cut that they have for corporate America and the very wealthy. We're not going to support another $4 billion tax cut for ExxonMobil.

Seems they can't find it in their hearts or budgets to cut back on anything but someone else's spending. I'm not quite sure how that works but since they're still running against Bush it's no surprise.

I think both of them, especially Palin, missed a great opportunity when asked how their administration might be different from their running mate's. I was waiting for one of them to say they would take charge in their own way instead of promising to continue the ways of their predecessor.